Happy sharks return

Buddina family the Aitkens woke on Christmas morning to find their sunglass-clad decorations returned on their doorstep.

Mother-of-two Rita reported the disappearance of three of four hand-painted 75cm shark Christmas decorations just days earlier. The unusual decorations were created by Ms Aitken and her then eight-year-old daughter Rachael as part of a coastal theme of Santa, his sleigh and the sharks that lead it.

Rachael, now 13, suffers cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

Ms Aitken said the sharks were made at a time Rachael was still very active.

The family were devastated to find the sharks had been stolen from their front yard three days before Christmas. But as word has it, miracles do come true on Christmas Day. “I had taken Ruby (21-month-old daughter) over to see the neighbours and then went inside,” Ms Aitken said.

“Lionel came in and said ‘look who’s back’ and there in his hands were the three sharks.”

Ms Aitken said they were all still in good condition except for some liquid stains on one of the sharks. “I think perhaps a child has seen them and taken them, their parent has seen the story in the paper and told them to take them back.”

These sharks have seen their last Christmas outdoors but the Aitken family has even grander plans for next year. “We’re going to have sharks again next year but this time they are going to be one-and-a-half metres tall,” she said of the sharks.

But it will be a brave person who will try and take them reunited sharks now. They guard the tank of family pets Pythias, Monty, Basil and Cybil – two carpet pythons and two diamond pythons.